Character: Kinomoto Sakura
Series: Card Captor Sakura
Version: Prince
Debut: San Japan 2013
Awards: WCS Gulf Qualifier First Place Winner
For San Japan in 2013 I teamed up with C.C. Cosplay to compete in the WCS Midwest/South Qualifiers. We quickly decided on CCS for our costumes and performance. The most unique challenge of this costume was constructing it in a manner that would allow me to put it on in 45 seconds. This was the first time I had ever done a quick change and I learned a lot. There are some things that I will need to go back and update for our second performance, but overall the costume worked out well.
Constructing this costume was a unique challenge because I had to make it in a way that allowed it to be put on quickly (in our finals version of the skit the jacket takes about 20 seconds to get on). Because of this I decided to construct the jacket and what I can only assume is a white under shirt as one piece. The jabbot velcros across the front of the collar and the sleeve ruffles are attached to the lining. I patterned this jacket using a women’s blazer pattern because it had princess sleeves. There was heavy altering done to get the shape correct. The shell is a light weight suiting. The original lining was a charmuse, but the rigors of running a quick change lead to the entire lining being replaced between qualifiers and finals. I also switched out the original zipper closure for velcro to make it easier to get it on fast…and then later changed it back to a zipper once competition was over. The prince puff sleeves were drafted using a few tutorials. They were faced with interfacing. The cuffs were also drafted. All of the bias tape was hand made and applied using the stitch in the ditch method with clear thread. The clasps on the front of the jacket are closed with magnets.
The bloomer pattern was drafted by me. The shell is a mid-weight dull satin. It is flatlined with about 4 layers of netting to give shape. They are lined with peachskin. The bloomers have a full elastic waist as well as a zipper to make them very easy to get on and off. The legs were hand gathered and then elastic was put into the cuffs.
The cape was also drafted, it is a simple gathered style cape. It attached at the top of the jacket shoulders with industrial velcro. Again, this allows for speed when putting the piece on onstage. It’s made of dull satin and charmuse. The oversized gems are plastic ornaments that were painted on the inside with nail polish. They were then filled with expanding foam and mounted to felt so they could be sewn to the cape.
The hat is made of felt and was blocked. The hat is probably my favorite part of the whole costume. After blocking the red satin lining was applied to the under side of the brim. It is finished off with petersham inside the crown. The entire brim was then wired with millinery wire using a blanket stitch. It was finished by sewing petersham to case the hat brim and lining. The plumes were wired and sewn to the hat.
Aside from all of the construction that went into this costume, the biggest challenge was developing the skit and practicing with a partner separated by 300 miles. It was my first time doing a skit and it gave me a lot of respect for people who do this kind of thing for cons all year long.
Photos: A.L.P., CosIT, Dustin Leitzel, Angelwing